Dakota Dry Bean elevator ablaze

Monday

Jan 6, 2014 at 10:22 AM

You'll see the emergency vehicles out there all day today. You might even see the smoke. But for anyone driving on College Drive yesterday evening, you likely saw roaring flames engulf the Dakota Dry Bean building.

By Joe MellenbruchJournal Reporter

You'll see the emergency vehicles out there all day today. You might even see the smoke. But for anyone driving on College Drive yesterday evening, you likely saw roaring flames engulf the Dakota Dry Bean building.

At 8 p.m. Sunday evening, the Devils Lake Fire Department was alerted to the grain elevator after receiving a call about smoke in the building.

The smoke soon became an uncontrollable blaze, which prompted Devils Lake fire chief Jim Moe to initiate a defensive attack against the fire. Firefighters initially attempted to enter the building and put the fire out from the ground, but considering the height of the building and the growing strength of the flames, Moe determined that his department would be best suited fighting the flames from outside and to let the fire burn its way down to the ground.

At this time, the cause of the fire is unknown. Firefighters will begin their investigation of the incident once the fire has been completely put out, but according to Moe, they expect the fire to burn all day considering the amount of debris present at the scene.

According to the Devils Lake Fire Department, which has been handling the situation all night despite the bitterly cold temperatures, two firefighters have already been sent to the emergency room to be treated for frostbite. Firefighters are now being rotated in and out of the cold to prevent further frostbite incidents. The high temperature for Devils Lake today is -16 degrees with an even more bitter wind chill.

The Journal will provide any new information about the fire once it becomes available. For now, firefighters are still working to put it out.